1861 August 17 Claremount Va

Dear Mother I thought I would write you a few lines to let you know where the Regiment is, they are under the Guns of Fort Elsworth one mile from the City of Alexandria, I suppose by the time you get this that you will hear of the taking of Jeff Davis & sumpter by the United State Frigate Pawnee this regiment has gone in a new brigade comprising the New York 23, 16, 29 regiments the third & Fourth Maine have gone in aNother brigade the reason they have putt the Maine regiments in different brigades is that if any should cause trouble in one regiment the others could not help them, the new york 16 regiment trowed down their Guns & swore that they would not do any duty, but they com to after A wile the Vermont second started last night to Guard the Long Bridge at Georgetown heights if the State of Maine does not Look after the men any better than they have the clothes will rot of thier backs, I do not blame the men any for Grumberlin when they cant find any Better Stuff than Maggety Bread & Meat And they are bound not to stand it any longer & if they think so they are greatly Mistaken Most of the men have thrown thier shirts away; I received Father's Letter of the 7th & he wrote to me that you wanted me to write how McFearson gets along Since he got wounded I did not know that he had got wounded nor he did not it is a all a Lie did not you know that he was A great Blower my Papers have not come from Arlington yet but I expect them to come every day There is five other s that have got thier discharge. Ask Mary Wallace how she Likes the Idea of my getting discharged I should think she would be affraid of my getting in the Closet to get at the sugar & cake she always kept the key in her pockett so that i could not get it tell her that John Shaw wants her to give his love to Andrew & wants him to kiss the baby for him & sends his best respects to his wife And when he returns to Portland he will have A good chat with him about the battle at bulls run i suppose you know that he has got his discharge, Father wrote to me that he had sent me some other Letters Before this but I have not seen them nor the papers that he sent
From you affectionate son Joseph Leavitt


Letters from Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George Leavitt of the 5th New York were copied into a ledger by their father John Leavitt in October 1865: "because they are of value to me and I was fearful that they might get mislaid." Both boys were mortally wounded in the war, George at Second Bull Run, August 30, 1862, and Joseph at Spotsylvania, May 18, 1864.


MSS 66